JUNE 2 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
345 
hedge to divide the floricultural from the vege¬ 
table portion. I did not choose the plain bods 
because I had no taste for the more fanciful 
shapes, but because I aimed to have each plant 
grow to its greatest perfection, and I wished to 
expend all the labor and time on the flowers, not 
on their surroundings. 
Presently my seeds came up, and the long 
drought set in. My first mistake was an attempt 
to water the young plants. Hundreds of my 
pets fell victims to that treatment, and the naked 
borders looked anything but handsome with 
great cracks through their baked surfaces. I 
reset with Gladioli, Asters, Balsams, Omnia and 
a host of others, hardy enough to endure such 
treatment. As a result I got thorn too thickly 
planted, and some suffered in consequence. 
Moreover, much of the beauty I had promised 
myBelf was lost by various plants and colors 
being mixed. But the rainy season finally set in 
and every thing began to grow in earnest. Con¬ 
volvulus vines clothed themselves in leaves 
nearly a foot across, Coleuses closed tbo walks, 
and Geraniums were clothed with leaves 
of a size I had never dreamed possible. I had 
giant Madeira vines, and Dahlias six foot high— 
the wonder of all who saw them. 
Now began my troubles. A trellis, stake or 
string had been provided for everything requir¬ 
ing either, but such top-heavy affairs were blown 
over when the ground became soaked, and the 
Dahlias broke down above their ties, when they 
became loaded with flowers. Although stakod 
reasonably high, with one, two, throe, or four 
stakes to a plant, and lied in every way I could 
think of, still the wind twisted off tbo hollow, 
brittle stems. 
1 had nover seen Dahlias used as a hedgo, but 
they made a splendid one, growing rapidly, while 
the intermingling of various colors made it very 
showy. I trained cypress vines ( quam- 
oclit ) over ladder trellises and thought the ar¬ 
rangement much prettier than giving them 
strings. For Ipomaa coccinea and Doliehox 
Lahlob, 1 placed stakes about four feet high and 
six reot apart, and tied cords from one to the 
Other to hang loosely between them, and the 
vines hung in pretty festoonsof leaf and blossom 
above the lower growing plants. A small bed of 
scarlet and pink Gladioli changed their colors 
and bloomed with dark mottled-crimson and ma¬ 
hogany-colored blooms, much to tuy amazomont. 
Cannas, Petunias, Asters, Phlox, Zinnias, Mari¬ 
golds, and Dahlias kept up a continual bloom 
until ouo ovening came when the clear sky and a 
biting chill told us we would have no flowers in 
tbo morning. Taking, therefore, two large 
baskets, I repaired to the garden and cut bnd 
and blossom until 1 had gathered about two 
bushels. Who else ever measured flowers by 
the bushel ? A week later, when flowers wore a 
rarity, 1 sent bouquets to my friends, causing 
many of them to wish that they, too, had saved 
their flowers. 
The pleasant spring days are hero again and 
as we arrange our seed pots and boxes, and 
watch the starting or the tiny plants that are to 
clothe our beds and borders with beauty a few 
mouths honco, we lay our plans gnided by last 
Bcason’B experience. The Dahlia is my standard 
flower, beautiful in all its varied colors, easy to 
cultivate, a continual bloomer from July till 
winter, and multiplying rapidly. I shall plant 
the dwarf varieties tills summer and set out 
somo of the tall Irieinus with them, and endeavor 
to so interlace the branches as to remedy the 
breaking down of former seasons. I have pur¬ 
chased my usual amount of seeds, notwithstand¬ 
ing that the Bubal Exchange has brought me a 
liberal supply, and I shall as usual grow Balsams, 
Asters, Phlox, Poppies, Petunias, Pinks, etc. I 
shall also try to grow Verbenas and Pansies 
although with these I have nover succeeded to 
tny own satisfaction. 1 intend likewise-to try 
One of those objectionable structures known as 
P.oekerics -, but mine will be edged with sods and 
planted with Double I’ortulaeca, while Gannas 
Euphorbia Marginata and Perilla Nankenensis, 
will occupy the top circle. I shall also try my 
hand at training Ivy over umbrella-shaped trel¬ 
lises, swinging hoops, etc. 
The past season I tried to make a Gennan Ivy 
grow in a tree form, and succeeded for quite a 
while, but the stem seemed to get limber as the 
plant got old and, like others of my plants, it be¬ 
came top-heavy and had to he allowed to vine. 
While planting the annuals, I suppose I shall 
have to put in a small seed bed of Perennials 
and Biennials for next summer’s flowering. 
These will consist of Holyhocks, Aquilogia, 
Cauterbury-bell and Pinks in variety. My latest 
care is some tiny Insurrection plants (Rose of 
Jericho), the seeds of which came from the 
Turkish department of the Centennial Exhibition. 
Will somebody please tell me what they require ? 
Mary Me. 
-♦♦♦- 
“SEEDSMEN TO THE QUEEN.” 
Here is what J.*,s. Vick, the well-known seeds¬ 
man, thinks of the patronage of royalty, which 
is made so much of in England : 
“ In the loading seed catalogues we get from 
England, the proprietors announce themselves 
in hold characters, and on almost every page, as 
“ The Queen's Seedsmen,” “ Seedsmen to the 
Prince of Wales,” etc. This seems to us to he 
the most transparent toadying and quite beneath 
the dignity of intelligent and respectable mer¬ 
chants. The Queen is an excellent woman and 
we all like her in America, and much better than 
some Englishmen whom wo have heard speak 
very harshly of Her Majesty, because she cannot 
conquer bor groat sorrow and indulge more free¬ 
ly in the splendid follies of royalty. We bavo no 
idea, however, that she knows or Caros from 
whom her gardeners purchase their seeds, and 
wo rather think the little perquisites the English 
seedsmen are in the habit of paying gentlemen’s 
gardeuers for tbo orders they send them have a 
good deal more to do with this matter than the 
Queen, or the Prinee of Wales, or the Duke of 
Connaught or any other of the dozen of groat 
persons who are announced as the patrons of 
those establishments. Gentlemen, this is too 
weak and childish, and not many people in En¬ 
gland are deceived by such nonsense. Wo are 
the seedsman of half a million of the wisest and 
best people on this continent., and a good many 
in Australia, Japan, China, Great Britain and all 
tbo rest of the world. That is something worth 
talking about.” 
-♦♦♦- 
THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. 
This is the title of a neat little volume of 187 
pages, published by Dick & Fitzoehald, No. 18 
Aim Street, New York. The author is Mr. 
James Hogg, a well-kuown practical gardener and 
writer upon horticultural topics; consequently 
wo expected to find the contents of this work of 
a practical character, and in this liavo not been 
disappointed, upon a careful poiuaal of its pages. 
As a timely hint, as well as to show the man¬ 
ner in which the author treats the subject, we 
give the following extract from tbo opening 
chapter, on soil for a vegetable garden. 
Tho success of a kitchon-gardon largely de¬ 
pends upon tho character of tho soil and ex¬ 
posure ; of courso, in a majority of cases, circum¬ 
stances control tho selection, but in a multitude 
of cases much more suitable selections can be 
made. Especially is this tho ease on the part of 
persons who, leaving the cities, select suburban 
or rural residences. Beautiful views, command¬ 
ing sites, and numerous other considerations 
too often determine tho problem in selecting a 
rural home, while tho adaptability of the site for 
gardening purposes is rarely, if ever, considered, 
although upon this point much of the enjoy¬ 
ment and comfort of a rural homo depends, as 
well as the cost of keeping it up. 
Handy soils, especially those having a loose, 
gravelly subsoil, are tlio least, retentive of moist¬ 
ure, and, accordingly, seriously suffer from 
drought; but there are cases in which sites, 
having a deep, sandy soil, and surrounded by 
higher land, are constantly moist, as the water 
from the higher lands drains or i>crcolates 
through the substratum of the sand, and the 
action of the sun, in causing evaporation from 
the surface, draws up tho moisture from below, 
bringing it in contact with the roots of the crops, 
thereby keeping them constantly moist, and 
preventing them from Buffering in a dry time, 
and so producing excellent crops of vegetables. 
Handy soils are well adapted for raising early 
vegetables, but are not suited for many mid¬ 
summer crops. 
■-- 
A WOMAN’8 ACRE. 
BY MRS. ANNIE L. JACK. 
Number 13. 
CONCLUSION. 
“ Nor k newest thou what argument 
Thy life to thy neighbor’s creed has lent." 
Tueuk is a charm in Nature that few can re¬ 
sist. Whether it bo onr lot to take up the prac¬ 
tical side, where hard work serves as a check to 
extravagant enthusiasm, or whether wo live but 
to advance some pet theory, there is an enthrall¬ 
ment in onr employment, that leads to high aims 
and aspirations. In the cultivation of fruit, 
especially, I have noticed what seeing to me a 
sort of horti-mania, that possesses a man or 
woman who becomes absorbed in this enchant¬ 
ing pursuit. It is with amusing concern I re¬ 
ceive a visit occasionally from some of those 
whom lie Marvel describes as “ pomologically 
starched and jaundiced,”—friends that are al¬ 
ways gladly welcomed, and who are possessed of 
a mine of valuable information, but who take no 
pains to disguise their contempt for anytliing in 
their specialty of a common or inferior nature. 
How well do I remember Mr. G., who came to 
see tho “guiduion ” stud our orchard ouo rainy 
day in August, and who talked fruit, fruit, and 
nothing but fruit, before, at, and after meals,— 
much to the disgust of a lady visitor, who was 
ever ready for a flirtation with tho wealthy bach¬ 
elor. For dessert we brought to table a dish of 
wild blftckborrios that had been cultivated sev¬ 
eral years in the garden, the fruit of which was 
largo juicy and very early. Our friend tasted 
and talked, and admired all through tho meal, 
and on rising from the table started, umbrella in 
hand, direct for the blackberry patch. Five min¬ 
utes witnessed his return with an expression of 
supreme contempt, upon his face, and he explain¬ 
ed his disappointment in the one word, “ Dew¬ 
berries.” Thinking it must be something un¬ 
common t.o call forth such tones of disdain, T 
hastened to the Fruit Culturist for information, 
and read: It. Canadensis .—Low blackberry; 
dewberry. Shrubby, trailing slightly, prickly ; 
fruit mostly round, with largo grains; sweet and 
pleasant flavor; ripens early- cm/ common." 
It w as enough. No longer were they permitted 
to possess the land. Condemned by our eminent 
horticulturist, tho place that once knew them 
knows them no more, for a few rows of corpu¬ 
lent gooseberries were planted in tho spot where 
they grow, and our table lacks what once seemed 
the “missing link” between fruits. But wo 
must bo consistent, and dewberries are a loin 
blackberry, you know ! Yet to those enthusiasts 
wo owe our best and choicest varieties, and I 
hope I can appreciate their value if I make free 
to smile at what “A. Ward" used to call “tbo 
muehnesn of it.” 
And now. my patient render, who has followed 
mo through tho fruit, and flowers and vegetables 
of this 14 acre," with its sunshine and showers, 
its profit and loss, I have come to tho “ lastly” 
of these articles, and can only add that while wo 
still work together in our extended acres, and 
onjoy tho blessings of a happy, healthful life, tho 
simple results hero stated are no more than can 
bo accomplished by any woman with the aid of a 
family of ordinary intelligence, who labor for 
each other to beautify and improve their home. 
^rfroritulfttnil, 
NORTH AMERICAN SYLVA. 
It has often been a surprise to Americans, on 
visiting Franco and especially Paris, to see so 
many of our native forest trees growing in the 
streets and parks of the cities as well as in pri¬ 
vate grounds. But to the student of Botany or 
Forestry, this appreciation of American treeB by 
the French people is hut a legitimate scqnenco 
of tho attention which somo of their greatest 
naturalists devoted to the study of our forests 
many yoars ago. Among the in ost noted names 
of celebrated travelers and botanists, is that of 
Michaux —father and son. Tho former, Andre 
Michaux, who was horn at Versailles in 1710, was 
a pupil of the renowned botanist Bernard de 
Jussieu and also of Lamarck and Tuonin. In 
1785 bo was commissioned by the French Gov¬ 
ernment to visit North America for the purpose 
of studying its botany, and especially the forest 
trees. Ho established a garden near Charleston, 
H. C., and another near New York. Tbo New 
York garden however, was, in fact, located in 
Bergen Co., N. .7., where a largo quantity of trees, 
intended to be sent, homo at convenient seasons, 
were raised from seed. 
After exhausting all of his private means, as 
well as tho stipend furnished by tho French Gov¬ 
ernment, he started home with an extensive as¬ 
sortment of plants, but was shipwrecked, and 
only four oases out of a large ij timber wore saved. 
But this disaster was not all that ho had to bear, 
for on reaching Franco in 1790, ho found, to his 
sorrow, that tho GO,000 young trees previously 
sent over, had all been destroyed during the Rev¬ 
olution. Miouaux, however, had not been idle 
with his pen and pencil, fur he left, upon his 
death in 1802. tbo materials for two grand vol¬ 
umes, which were published, the following year, 
under tbo title of Flora Borealix Americana. 
His son, Francois Andre Michaux, followed 
in the steps of his illustrious father, and was 
likewise employed by tho French Government to 
visit North America to decido what species 
among the forest trees of that country might bo 
profitably introduced into Europe. In prosecu¬ 
tion of this object, he made three voyages to the 
United States, on each occasion sending homo 
vast quantities of valuable seeds. 
Another result of these voyages was a magnifi¬ 
cent work entitled f fish arc dex nrbrex Farext- 
V‘rs de I'Amerique Septenlrionale, published in 
Paris, 1810-13. Of this, an English translation 
by the author was issued both in Paris and Phil¬ 
adelphia (4 vols.; 8vo.—1817-19.) Another edi¬ 
tion, translated by Hillhouse, appeared in 
Philadelphia in 1830. Three supplementary vol¬ 
umes were added by the celebrated botanist. 
Taos. Nurr all, in 1842-41), which contained not 
only all tho trees described in Michaux’s work, 
but also tho new ones subsequently discovered 
by himself and other botanists. Tho whole was 
embraced in five royal-octavo volumes, contain¬ 
ing 277 superb copper plates colored by hand in 
the highest stylo of the art, forming altogether 
one of the most superb works of the kind ever 
published in the United States. Moreover, this 
work is authoritative, and will probably not be 
equaled in the next century by any rival. 
With regard to all expensive works of science 
and art, tho demand is usually extremely limited, 
as ouly mon of moans and specialists bocome 
purchasers. Tho above works of Michaux and 
Nuttall combined, published under tho title of 
“ The North American Hylva,” 1805, has been no 
exception to this rule. Only a small edition, how¬ 
ever, was published, and at the present time only 
a few copies of the work remain unsold, and 
these are in the hands of A. W. Gittens of this 
city. Owing to the immense cost of reproduc¬ 
tion and the limitod sale, there is no probability 
that another edition will over bo issued. 
Forestry in the United States is a branch of 
natural science which, although formerly much 
neglected, has of lato years attracted consider¬ 
able attention, and such a work ns the “ North 
American Hylva” is one that will, ere long, be 
looked upon as a rarity of great valuo even in 
the most select libraries of naturalists. Tho 
present opportunity of obtaining these superb 
volumes will novor occur again, and the small 
number of copies on hand should admonish ar¬ 
boriculturists not to delay seem ing so rich a prizo. 
GRAFTING PECANS. 
The Pecan nut, as we prosumo everybody 
who has looked up the subject knows, is a spe¬ 
cies of hickorv, or Can/a oUva'fortnis , and, nae 
all of tbo genus, extremely difficult to propagate 
by blidding or grafting: in fact, succnss so very 
seldom at tends one’s attempts in this direction, 
Hint when attained it may bo considered an ex¬ 
ception to the general rule. As every nursery- 
thru find hoWiovilttiriMi in woll ftWRTG of t.hoHG 
facts in regard t.o propagating the Hickories, wo 
are somewhat surprised to rend the following 
communication hv Tt. H. Elliott of Kirkwood, 
Mo., to the Country Gentleman: 
<! If, fin trial, it h lion Id ho ascertained that tbo 
Pecnn can t o successfully grafted on the Black 
Walnut or Butternut. Its growth would probably 
be more rapid, arid, ennseipientlv, its propaga¬ 
tion mid improvement, facilitated " 
Now, we do not sav that a Hickory cannot bo 
propagated unmi f Black Walnut or Butternut, 
but, it is not at all likely that, a species will unite 
more freely with a stoek of some oilier genus 
{ban upon one of its own, and experience has 
shown unite tho contrary. If Mr. Elliott can 
toll us how to propagate tho Pecan by budding 
and grafting upon stocks of its own kind or 
BpocioH, will certainty do tho liortionlturint a 
great, favor, because there are a number of 
natural varieties of tbo Pecan, and Home very 
large and valuable, which are awaiting the com¬ 
ing of a skillful propagator to multiply and dis¬ 
seminate them. 
Wo freunentlv bear men recommending tho 
propagation of choice varieties of the Hickory, 
hut it. is much easier said than done. But when 
the iniiti appears who can do it as successfully as 
with other fruits, xvn have some fine sorts in 
mind to which wo shall take great pleasure in 
calling his attention. 
TUBE WELLS AGAIN. 
Having rend revere! articles in vonr paper in 
reference to Tube Wells and the Patent. Laws, it 
may not be amiss to state some facts, within my 
knowledge, in that, connection. As early as tbo 
years 1858 59. there wore hundreds of the tubu¬ 
lar wells in use in the counties of Sun Joaquin 
and Sacramento, California They wore first 
bored with an auger until quicksand was struck, 
then driven through the sand and curbed with 
tin or sheet-iron, and then bored a few feet in 
the porous oh rl 1 1 that underlies the sand in that 
part of the country. Wi lls of this kind furnished 
n. snpply of water which could not he exhausted. 
They were used for irrigation arid nearly all 
other purposes, and 1 have myself both made 
and used them. They were, indeed, mid are to¬ 
day, the kind almost, universally to be found in 
the section of California between Sacramento 
and Stockton. Of these the man, Green, cer¬ 
tainly was neither tho inventor nor tho first to 
use them. This I have written in the hope that 
it nmv tend to expose a fraud, and thus savo 
rnariv innocent persons from imposition.—W. G. 
Y., Portaqe Oily, His. 
Boring will) an auger is a. very ancient method 
of making wells, although the name artesian, 
given to those made in this way, is Of compara¬ 
tively recent origin, not more than five or six 
hundred years old. indeed. It, was derived from 
the city and district of Artois, in Franco, the in¬ 
habitants of which used tho system very exten¬ 
sively. as their country, in which water could al¬ 
ways be reached at a depth of from 20 to 30 feet, 
■was peculiarly adapted to its employment. In 
this mol hod, however, the earth removed from 
tho hole is hrought to the surface, whereas the 
essential point in the tube-well controversy is 
that the earth is pressed aside from the hole by 
the descending rod or tnbo. In no possible case 
can any claim be justly made by Green or his 
agents for royalty on wells made by boring with 
an anger, or in any case where the earth from the 
hole is brought to tbo surface. Manv disrepu¬ 
table agent*, however, have made dishonest de¬ 
mands of this kind: but wherever these have 
been paid, the money can be legally recovered 
on the ground that it had been obtained Oil false 
pretences. Tho true tube-well method of well- 
making was, however, employed by onr corre¬ 
spondent in sinking his well through tho quick¬ 
sand ; and there are, doubtless, many instances 
where it, alone, was used in making wells before 
Green ever saw it described in Mackenhik’s 
work. It is difiicult, however, to reach such 
cases. —Ed. 
